Bannock Bread Recipe

While living in Japan a frequent question I have gotten asked is 'what are Canadian foods or recipes?'.  Bannock is one of the easiest recipes that is a simple flatbread that was adopted from Scottish traders by Native Americans. It is a easily made, filling food that the explorers and traders to Canada frequently eat. Since it doesn't expire quickly it makes a great food for anyone traveling or living in the wilderness. Each indigenous nation in North America has their own version of bannock. It can be made with wheat flour, oats, barley, corn meal or from the local plant life (cattail pollen, moss, lichen, flour from seeds/acorns or dried roots). Some historians believe that aboriginal peoples in Canada were eating flat breads made from local plant materials before traders landed in Canada, making the Scottish version of the bread (made with wheat, oats or barley) easily adopted into their culture.

The bread has very few ingredients and can be made over a fire or at home in a frying pan making it great for camping or a simple at home treat for breakfast or a side to lunch or dinner.

It is typically eaten alone or with jam but topping with a little maple syrup can make it a nice incredibly Canadian dish. Mixing in some rosemary, maple sugar, blueberries or cheese can also make this simple dish incredibly flavorful. Basically you can experiment with adding a wide diversity of ingredients.

Since I used for an international potluck where everyone has to cook food from their own countries I actually tripled this recipe but here is the standard amounts for if you wanted to make about 8 bannock buns about 5cm wide and 2cm thick.

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 3/4 cup water
• vegetable oil for frying

Instructions

1. In a large bowl whisk together flour, salt and baking powder.
2. Add oil and whisk together, gradually add water and stir until almost holds together.  Move to a lightly floured surface and knead together until dough sticks together. Mix in cheese, berries, rosemary or any other ingredients. 
3. Divide into balls to desired size/ number and flatten with the palm of your hand. 
4. Fry in hot oil on medium heat (enough to cover the bottom of the frying pan) until golden brown on both sides (and cooked on the inside). If cooking over the fire you can wrap the thick dough around sticks (but if doing this method use less water so that the dough is less soft/fluid) and cook like you would a marshmellow or you can cook on a flat warm stone beside the fire or in the hot coals and cook as above (tinfoil and oil optional).